Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
Home Office implements measures to address unintended consequences of Skilled Worker visa route usage.
Conclusion
We asked the Home Office what actions it was taking to address some of the unintended consequences of the higher than expected use of the route, such as an 80% increase in people staying permanently in the United Kingdom in 2024 compared to 2021 and the number of people claiming asylum after entering the United Kingdom on a Skilled Worker visa, rising from 53 in 2022 to 5,300 in 2024. The Home Office told us it had taken steps to address the number of people entering on a visa and claiming asylum, such as the requirement for applicants to demonstrate they can support themselves when entering the United Kingdom and that they have a genuine role to come to. The Home Office also pointed to its wider work with countries where there is a higher prevalence of people coming into the asylum system.29
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation and published an evaluation of the Skilled Worker route, noting migrant motivations and potential issues with salaries, but does not detail new specific actions to address increased permanent stays or asylum claims.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: October 2025 2.2 The government published its evaluation of the skilled worker visa route alongside the Immigration White Paper on 12 May. Skilled worker evaluation. 2.3 The evaluation of the Skilled Worker route found that visa holders were primarily motivated to come to the UK by career opportunities (87%) and wanting to experience living in the UK (70%), while businesses most cited a shortage of skilled UK candidates (30%) as their motivation to sponsor Skilled Workers. Sponsors reported a range of business benefits from employing Skilled Workers, including creating a more diverse workforce (34%), bringing in new cultural perspectives (26%), and learning new skills from other markets (24%). 2.4 The ability to bring dependants was a key feature in deciding to work in the UK. Of those with dependants (54%), only 10% reported they would still have come to the UK if they had not been able to bring dependants. Most dependant partners were reported to be employed (71%) – the majority were employed full-time (54%). Self-reported English language ability for Skilled Workers and dependants were high. Before coming to the UK, 69% of main applicants could speak English “very well” (53% for dependant partners). This increased to 82% at the time of the survey (66% for dependant partners). 2.5 A potential unintended consequence of higher than expected use of the route is that, while most reported salaries exceeded current thresholds, some survey responses indicate that some individuals may not be compensated at thresholds which sponsors are required to meet. 39% of Skilled Workers reported earning up to £35,000 per annum, while 22% of Health and Care visa holders earned up to £22,500 per annum, though it is not possible from the survey to determine whether this is due to individual migrant circumstances (e.g., new entrant discounts). The survey sample also spans salary policy changes, meaning not all respondents were subject to the same minimum income requirements. Variations in individual salary rules and discounts may also account for reported salaries below standard route minimums, and methodological limitations could also have skewed salary estimates.